Dalvey Estate by Aamer Architects

Bold in form and fluid in function, the Longhouse @ Dalvey Estate is conceived from merging the tropical language with contemporary lines and structure. The design reinterprets the traditional Iban Longhouse, with family communal areas outside the bedrooms to foster family integration.

With the inward-looking orientation of the house, its façade and presence from the main road is kept subtle and non-descript, giving only little hints of what lies beyond. A ‘paper-thin’ concrete box, delicately lined with rich timber, greets visitors upon entry. It aptly frames the entrance, with its sheer form and structural gymnastics, appearing almost floating off a void.

The scheme is characterized by its prominent louvered ‘drum’ that houses the main bedrooms and private domain of the house. Spatial strategy and articulation of this drum aim to minimize use of walls, allow generous spill of filtered daylight and fluid circulation between bedrooms, linked by semi-outdoor verandahs.